By Joseph Kingston
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Aminu Tambuwal, and Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River state have called on politicians in the country to be accountable to their people through transparent representation if they must get the support of their constituents in subsequent elections.
Speaking in Calabar at the weekend during the grand finale of empowerment activities, organised Rt Hon Essien Ekpenyong Ayi, the member representing Bakassi, Akpabuyo and Calabar South in the Green Chambers, Tambuwal said the era of politicians luring electorate with peanuts during elections were over.
He commended Ayi for working in close touch with his constituents as evidenced in the mammoth crowd which graced the occasion and believed that such gesture would be replicated by other representatives of the people in both state and national assemblies.
In his remarks, Governor Imoke said: “Representation means attracting things due your people to them. It is fulfilling your obligations to your people, carrying them along in your plans knowing full well that without them, you cannot be a politician that you are.
“Everybody has right to aspire but your aspiration must be in conformity with the wishes and aspiration of the people themselves. If you must aspire tomorrow, the people would want to know how paramount they are in your plans and political calculations.”
